When I was a girl growing up, I don't remember being taught about the Holy Spirit. And I was raised in a committed Christian home where my parents loved Jesus, obeyed Jesus, served Jesus, where God the Father was worshiped in reverence and fear, but I just don't remember being taught about the Holy Spirit. When I went to church— and I went to church every Sunday— the Holy Spirit was referred to as the Holy Ghost, but He was only mentioned in benedictions, weddings, and baptisms.

You know, I didn't feel comfortable with a ghost…

And so I had neglected the Holy Spirit for a long time. It wasn't until I was a young adult studying the Scriptures for myself that I came to understand more fully who He is.

Maybe you, too, are confused about the Holy Spirit? Maybe you don't know about Him at all. Maybe things you've heard about Him are off-putting to you.

I have heard the Holy Spirit spoken of as an “it,” a feeling, a dove, a flame of fire, a ghost, an emotion, or even an ecstatic experience.

He is referred to as the third Person of the Trinity, as though He is the least of the Trinity, or a postscript to the more significant Father and Son. All of which is inaccurate.

While the Holy Spirit may be symbolized by a dove or flame of fire, while His presence may be accompanied by an emotion or feeling or ecstatic experience, He Himself is distinctly separate from those things.

The Holy Spirit is not a thing but a Person.

So at the outset of our exploration of who the Holy Spirit is, keep in mind that He is a living Person who has a mind, a will, and emotions. He is referred to as the third Person of the Trinity not because He is the least, but because He is the third Person to be more fully revealed in Scripture.

One thing I know for certain: The Holy Spirit is not an optional extra in my Christian life. He is a divine necessity.

I think it's worth our while to get to know Him as the Bible reveals who He is.

Do you want to know Him more?

My prayer for you is that God Himself will draw near to you and you will experience the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit in a fresh new way. And as a result, you will come to love Him even more. The Holy Spirit is wonderful. He is our Helper. He is our Comforter. He is our Counselor. He is our Strengthener. Our Standby. Our Advocate. Our Intercessor. He is another Jesus . . . Jesus living in us.

I can’t wait for you to get to know Him better.

Written for FaithGateway by Anne Graham Lotz, author of Jesus in Me.

For the believer and follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the constant guide and companion for fellowship with God. He is the seal, the proof, promise of our adoption as children of God. He speaks to us and for us to the Father, interceding on our behalf because we belong to Jesus. As we grow in spiritual wisdom and mature in faith, may we yield more and more to the Holy Spirit within bringing glory and honor to our great and glorious God, three in One!

Pastor Dale